Little Man Tate (1991): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1991, Little Man Tate is a drama and family film directed by Jodie Foster, running about 99 minutes. “It's not what he knows. It's what he understands.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Dede is a sole parent trying to bring up her son Fred. When it is discovered that Fred is a genius, she is determined to ensure that Fred has all the opportunities that he needs, and that he is not taken advantage of by people who forget that his extremely powerful intellect is harboured in the body and emotions of a child.

Who’s in it. Little Man Tate stars Jodie Foster as Dede Tate, Dianne Wiest as Jane Grierson, Adam Hann-Byrd as Fred Tate and Harry Connick Jr. as Eddie, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.5/10, Little Man Tate has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $25M at the box office.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Little Man Tate page.

If you liked it. Fans of Little Man Tate tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.